THE SERMONATOR

What is the focal point of most church services?  In most institutional church settings it is the sermon that is the central focus of the service.  Some preachers are even called "preaching machines".  Today, we'll the preacher The Sermonator.

The pastor is expected to have a timely message that will tickle the ears of most of the people.  It seems very few want their toes stepped on.  There's a lot of "fluff" being preached today.  Most people leave these meetings unchallenged to move on and grow in their spiritual lives.  Ask most what the sermon was about and they would not even be able to tell you.

Is this the way it's always been?  What about the New Testament church?  How was the sermon and the preaching perceived in the New Testament church?  Let's take a look at that.

First of all, preaching or proclaiming the gospel was done outside the walls of the church to non-believers.  Evangelistic messages were preached to those in other cities, communities and gatherings for the purpose of bringing people to a saving knowledge of Jesus.  Read through the Book of Acts and you will see this to be true.  

On the other hand, in the New Testament church the church gatherings were for the benefit of the believers.  There would be teaching and instruction along with the body sharing with one another.  There would be dialog where discussion could take place and questions could be asked.  It was a body ministry then unlike today.  The early church gathered to spur one another on in their walk with Jesus. 

These were not evangelistic meetings in the church.  They were for the benefit of the believers.  You see, it was the responsibility of every believer to go out and share the gospel with others and lead non-believers to Jesus.  As a rule, non-believers did not come to the church meetings and get saved.  Rather they would become part of a local gathering of believers after they were saved.  Looks like we have that backwards today.

Today we go to church, sit in a pew, and listen to a preacher preach a sermon.  All the responsibility falls on the shoulders of the sermonator!   This is someone we hire to do this work.  We feel good about it because we have a sermonator.  This takes the responsibility off of the individual Christian.  Right?  I beg to differ.  It is my responsibility as well as your responsibility to win others to Jesus.  Then we bring them into the church for teaching, instruction and to spur them on in their walk with God.

Do you think we'll ever get back to Bible basics?  Will we ever get it?  Let's be the church God intends for us to be and not the church man wants us to be.  I read a statement recently I would like to share with you:  If you want to be part of the church Jesus is building then you need to get away from the one man is building.  Food for thought.

Until next time...enjoy the journey!

Ray


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